Buffing bar and method of making such bar



Aug. 17, 1965 J. E. LEY 3,200,542

BUFFING BAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SUCH BAR Filed May 10. 1963 FIG.3

FIG.6 FIG.5

33 FIG.4

3,200,542 BUFFHQG BAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SUCH FEAR 7 501m E. Ley, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Schaifner Manufacturing Company, Inc, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 10, 1963, Ser. No. 279,582 2 (Ilairns. (Cl. 51262) This invention relates to bufiing compounds which are used in the buffing, polishing or finishing of parts such as the fenders of automobiles, metal sheet used in the making of polished articles and other like processes. This invention has particular relationship to buffing bars.

In a buffing, polishing or finishing operation the surface to be treated is engaged by a rotating buffing wheel. The wheel is usually of smooth or non-abrasive material and is impregnated with a buffing compound to produce the bufiing effect. The bufiing compound is derived from a bar which the operator holds in engagement with the periphery of the wheel as it rotates. The bar is melted in the region where it engages the wheel by the heat of friction between the bar and the wheel. As melted compound leaves the point where it is produced, it is solidified by the current of air created by the rotation. The wheel thus coated with the compound is applied to the work. The bar is consumed as it is melted by the friction with the wheel.

When the bar is melted down to the portion which is being gripped by the operator, this portion must be discarded. Since the discarding of unused grip portions of the bar would result in serious economical loss, the buffing bars in accordance with the teachings of the prior art includes a grip cardboard. This grip is formed by bending a card-board blank and stapling or glueing the edges of the blank to form a hollow box-like object. The compound is then secured to the box. stapling operation is highly time consuming and the cost of making the card-board grip is high. In addition, the card-board grip inherently has sharp edges and an operator holding such a grip for any substantial length of time suffers discomfort.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the difficulties of prior are buifing bars having grips. It is a specific object of this invention to provide a buffing bar having a grip which shall lend itself to manufacture at a low cost and which shall be usable by an open ator without discomfort. Another object of this invention is to provide a method for making such a buffing bar.

In accordance with this invention, a buffing bar is provided having a grip of a solid material having indentations in which the buffing rod is engaged. In accordance with an important specific aspect of this invention the grip is molded from a polystyrene foam and has cross identations or cavities generally in the form of female dovetail grooves into which the abutting end of the rod of buifing compound is molded or projections around which the compound is molded. The density of the molded material should be sufiiciently high to enable the grip to withstand crushing in the hands of the operator. A minimum density of 1.75 pounds per cubic foot has been found satisfactory. The grip may be molded rounded about a substantial portion of its surface so that the operator suffers no discomfort in holding the grip. Materials sold under the names Chemfoam and Styrofoam are satisfactory for this purpose.

In accordance with the broader aspects of this invention, the grip may be molded from urethane foam or from polyurethane foam. But the polystyrene foam has marked advantages over these.

United States Patent 3,2 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 The compound has a substantially lower melting temperature than the foam. Typically the melting temper- This bending and ature of the compound is between about F. and F. while the foam has a melting temperature of F. In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, a method for readily marking the above-described bar is provided by molding the compound into the bar. The grip is inserted in one end of a mold having the form of the bar with the indentations facing inwardly. The bufiing compound is liquified and poured into the mold filling the mold and the indentations. The compound is then permitted to solidify. A bar is thus formed with a rod of compound extending from the grip and secured in the indentations in the grip.

The novel features considered characteristic of this invention are disclosed generally above. For a better understanding of this invention both as to its organization and as to its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description of a specific embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a bufling bar in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken along line IIII of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 4 is a view in longitudinal section showing the manner in which a bar according to this invention is formed; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views in perspective showing grips in accordance with a modification of this invention.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 includes a bufling bar having a grip 13 of a solid, preferably polystyrene foam of density at least 1.75 pounds per cubic foot, to which a rod 11 or bufiing material may be molded. The buffing material may be of numerous different compositions and usually includes principally an abrasive and a binder. A typical material may have the following composition:

Tripoli-about 60% to 65% Stearic acidabout 18% Parafiin-remainder The Tripoli is in this case the abrasive and the Stearic acid and Paraffin the binder. This specific material has a melting temperature of about 125 F. to 128 F. and may be molded into a grip of a polystyrene foam which has a melting temperature of 185 F.

The grip 13 may be prepared by molding a mass of pellets which form the foam. This grip 13 is of generally trapezoidal form but a large part 15 of its surface is curved or rounded. The grip 13 has cross indentations, grooves or cavities 17 and 19. These indentations 17 and 19 are generally at right angles and have the form generally of dovetails. The indentations 17 includes a wider dovetail 21 in communication with a narrower dovetail 23.

In the use of the apparatus the cross indentations or dovetails 17 and 19 hold the rod 11 firmly. With an indentation along only one dimension of the grip 13, there may be a tendency for the rod 11 to become displaced with reference to the grip 13. The composite dovetail structure 21-23 assures firm engagement of the rod 11 by the grip.

The buffing bar is formed by molding. For this purpose a mold 31 having a cavity 32 in the form of the bar is provided. Prefer-ably the outer surface of the grip 13 has the same form as the surface of the rod 11 extending from it. The surface of the cavity 32 is then formed 3 symmetrically sothat the grip 13 may be inserted in either end 33 with its surface conforming to the surface of the cavity 32 of the mold. The indentations 17 and 19 exi tend remotely from the inner surface of the end 33 engaged by. the grip 13. The compound is reduced to a molten mass and poured into the mold. The liquid com- 1 mitted to cool so thatthe compound solidifies. The bar is then-readily releasable from the mold. A bufling bar in which the grip 13 is fused or molded to the bufiing rod 11 is thus produced. w In the use of the bar, the bar is held against a bufiing Wheel by the grip. The palm :of theoperators hand may engage the curved portion 15 of the grip. Thus the operator suffers no discomfort. Substantially the whole bufiing rod 11 is consumed usefully. When the outer edgesof the indentations 17 and 19 are reached, the operator may continue to melt the compound in the indentations 17 and 19. The contiguous part of the grip 13 is ground away but drops to the ground as a fine white dust.

The grips 61 and 63 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 have projections 65 and 67 respectively. The projection 65 has the form of a cross tapering fromthe outer extreme to a plane and the projection 67 has the form of a male dovetail tapering to the plane 71. These grips have been 1 .found to hold arod of compound. molded around them jection or in the-form of a cavity within the periphery of the grip and the expression indentation means a recession in the form of a cavity.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed herein, many modifications thereof are feasible. This invention then is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the spirit of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A buffing bar including a solid grip of a moldable material having at least one'recess in one end thereof and a rod of a batting compound secured in said recess by molding liquified buifing compound in said recess, the liquid buffing compound adhering to said material, the moldable material having a higher melting temperature than the compound.

2. A buffing ibar including a solid grip of polystyrene foam having at least one recess in one end thereof and a rod of a buffing compound secured in said recess by molding liquified butting compound in said-recess, the liquid buffing compound adhering to said polystyrene foam, the said polystyrene foam having a higher melting temperature than the compound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,545 8/34 Chandler 51-263 2,122,665 7/38 Twyning 51263 2,177,992 10/39 .Moon 51-263 2,467,596 4/49 Pratt 51 293 2,904,418 9/59, 'Fahnoe 51-293 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,847 8/49 Netherlands.

ROBERT c. ,RIORDON,-Primizry Examiner.

LESTER M. SWINGLE, Examiner. 

1. A BUFFING BAR INCLUDING A SOLID GRIP OF A MOLDABLE MATERIAL HAVING AT LEAST ONE RECESS IN ONE END THEREOF AND A ROD OF A BUFFING COMPOUND SECURED IN SAID RECESS BY MOLDING LIQUIFIED BUFFING COMPOUND IN SAID RECESS, THE LIQUID BUFFING COMPOUND ADHERING TO SAID MATERIAL, THE 